


Cheekbones

by Ceebee



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: F/F, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-10
Updated: 2012-03-10
Packaged: 2017-11-01 18:18:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/359816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceebee/pseuds/Ceebee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was his Colin, wrapped up in stage lights and the bated breaths of everyone watching, and absolutely nothing else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cheekbones

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after seeing a [post](http://colsandbradders.tumblr.com/post/18316811390/ohmygod-someone-should-write-a-fic-of-bradley-james) on tumblr, saying this:
> 
> _"ohmygod, someone should write a fic of Bradley James going to one of Colin's plays, and Colin is naked."_
> 
> And then I was asked if  _I_ would give it a go, and this is what happened...  
> Thank you [Isabella](http://www.tumblr.com/edit/adolescentramblings.tumblr.com) for being a wonderful beta :D

“Hey, Bradley,” Colin’s voice was urgent on the other end of the phone, and Bradley put down the magazine he’d been flicking through, at the same time as having his mobile lodged between his ear and shoulder.

“Hey,” he said, “what’s up?”

“I was just wondering... you’re still coming tonight, right?” Bradley rolled his eyes,

“Col, since I met you, have I ever missed one of your performances?”

There was a short silence, followed by the sound of Colin letting out a long sigh, “no.”

“Exactly. So, I’ll be seeing you at eight, alright?”

“Right. Okay. Uhmm... I hope you enjoy it.” And then Colin hung up.

Bradley shook his head, fondly, as he slipped the phone into his pocket. Sometimes, he felt that he knew his best friend and co-worker better than anyone else in the world, but sometimes he was just impossible to work out. When he had told Bradley that he’d been cast in a new play, it had only been because Angel had brought it up first. Bradley had the feeling that, had she not loudly proclaimed that Colin had gone and landed himself _another_ role, he’d never have heard about it, which was just strange. For everything else, Colin had personally invited Bradley along, had been happy to listen to the older man’s encouragement beforehand, and then compliments afterwards.

But not this time.

And then, when Bradley had asked where he could buy tickets, Colin had stammered out, Irish accent thick with reluctance, “You sure you want to come?”

“Of course I do!” Bradley grinned, “why wouldn’t I?”

Colin had only gone a little pink and shrugged.

After that Bradley had, understandably, been more than curious. He’d tried researching the play, but there was very little about it online at the time, what with it being brand new. Colin told him only that it was a very small production, with a young director who was just starting out. It was unlikely to run more than a few weeks, but apparently the script was brilliant. Quirky and funny and a little bit dark. Much like Colin himself, Bradley thought with a smile.

After that, Bradley had been too caught up with his own work, to give the play much thought, and truth be told he had all but forgotten about it, till a few days earlier, when Katie had rang and asked if he was going to meet her and Angel, or make his own way to the theatre.

Now, Bradley snatched up his keys and left his flat, somehow missing Colin’s presence by his side as he got into the taxi waiting for him. It was weird. Sometimes a thought like that would just hit him; a feeling which he was sure didn’t belong there. He missed Colin being beside him. He didn’t know why. It was something that just was.

They had decided that it would be easier if he just met the girls at the theatre, which he did, throwing his arms around them as they entered the little building.

“What’s it even called?” he asked and then, when Angel sent him a scandalised look, he rolled his eyes, “it’s not _my_ fault! Col’s been ridiculously secretive about it.”

At that, Katie giggled, and Bradley frowned, “what’s funny?” he asked, but she just ducked her head, whilst Angel bit her lip.

“It’s called ‘Cheekbones’,” she said, after a moment. Bradley snorted. How apt.

It was typical that the play would have the same name as one of Colin’s most attractive features: the sharp lines which pressed up against pale skin, helping to make him one of the prettiest men Bradley had ever met. He sighed heavily, as Katie moved to stand beside Angel, and then again when they were seated, and Katie rested her head on the other girl’s shoulder, their fingers twisted together. He watched them, from the corner of his eye, and wondered thought about how he acted, when Colin was sat beside him.

How their elbows were often touching, their feet knocking against each other.

How Bradley sometimes felt he need more, even if it was just a simple touch of hand over hand.

And then the play started, and Bradley’s attention was focussed entirely on the stage, his heartbeat speeding up, like it always did when he was about to witness one of Colin’s performances. A mixture of excitement and nerves, which sat well in his heart. Colin was always brilliant. He was sure that tonight would be no exception.

The character Colin was playing was endearingly eccentric; a pot-smoking, novel-writing romantic. The whole first half of the play was filled with quick lines, and the beginning of a twisting plot, which had Bradley gripping his arm rests, and Angel’s finger nails digging into the back of Katie’s hand.

And it was Colin. The three of them knew, it was all down to Colin. The script _was_ good, and it had obviously been directed well, but all eyes were on the skinny, pale young man, who filled the stage, even when he in the background, half hidden in shadow. Every word he uttered, whether he was whispering it, or throwing his voice to the very back of the audience, was spoken with such ease, it was like he had become his character entirely. Bradley never knew how to feel, when he saw Colin like this; it was like he had lost him to the act, and it was both terrifying and awe inspiring.

During the interval, they decided to stay where they were, as it was unlikely that no one here was a _Merlin_ fan, and none of them felt much like dealing with that (although Katie sulked for about five minutes, because Angel had promised her strawberry ice cream).

“He’s been amazing,” Angel said happily, once Katie had been placated with a cherry drop. Bradley nodded,

“I really don’t think there’s anything that man can’t do,” he agreed.

“We’ll see,” Katie said, and there was a slightly mischievous look in her eye, as she glanced snidely at Bradley.

He frowned at her, “What do you mean?”

She sucked furiously on her sweet for a minute, and Angel rolled her eyes, “She doesn’t mean anything,” she said, prodding Katie in the ribs.

Bradley glared some more, and began to ask, “What is it you two won’t tell-“ but just then there was an announcement that the next half would be starting in a few minutes, and Katie promptly choked on her cherry drop, causing both Angel and Bradley to thump her on the back, and making the latter forget about whatever the girls were hiding from him.

Twenty minutes later, and everyone was engrossed in the play once more. Colin had made a reappearance, bursting onto the stage and delivering a furious, fast paced monologue with tears making tracks down his heavily made-up face, smudging the shadows which enunciated those cheekbones, which really didn’t need any enunciating. Bradley felt his breath leave him, as every scripted word flew straight to his heart.

Once Colin had finished speaking, there was an applause, which he stood still and silently to hear, before launching into another scene. The girl he had been talking to, left the stage, and it was like Colin was emitting some raw power, an energy which bounced around the room, made so much stronger when it was just him standing there, on his own.

And, maybe, if Bradley had been paying more attention to the actual words Colin had been saying, rather than the way he said them, he would have foresaw what came next. Maybe he wouldn’t be surprised, when pale fingers hooked around the hem of his t-shirt, and pulled, so that it was lifting up and over Colin’s head. He dropped it on the floor, revealing his pale, gleaming chest, lightly scattered with dark hair, and underlain with lean muscle.

Bradley tensed where he sat, and couldn’t drag his eyes away from the other man. And it wasn’t even that, suddenly, the person he’d been half in love with for years now, was half naked in front of him (although that was definitely part of it) that made Bradley’s breath become a little harsher. It was more the way that staged tears still clung, clumped to long eyelashes, and how his fingers clenched and unclenched, learned in every movement. Precise. Powerful.

Colin had power here. Over the stage, over the audience, over Bradley. Most of all, over Bradley, even if he didn’t realise it.

And then, he was reaching for the button on his trousers, and he felt Katie shift beside him.

So this was what they’d been whispering about.

He thought for a moment, about how Katie had remarked, _“we’ll see,”_ and then, when Colin stepped out of his trousers, revealing that he’d been wearing nothing underneath, he _almost_ smirked, because he’d been right: Colin really was pretty much good at everything.

The not-quite-smirk was gone before it had even begun, however, as Colin took a step forwards. No one was making a sound. No one giggled, or coughed awkwardly, because it was like there wasn’t any _room_ to. Like Colin was suffocating them, the character he was playing chasing away any of their qualms.

Colin was naked, but Bradley felt as if he had been stripped completely, as his eyes took in the ivory skin, layered beautifully over bones and blood. His Colin, wrapped up in stage lights and the bated breaths of everyone watching, and absolutely nothing else.

It took all Bradley’s willpower not to excuse himself the moment the scene ended, and Colin departed from the stage. Katie and Angel cast him first nervous, and then knowing little glances, when he moved his coat, so that it was covering his lap. He refused to meet their eyes, and instead stared resolutely at the spot where Colin had vanished. His gaze barely strayed once from that moment, to when it was all over.

Thankfully, by the time he and the girls were back outside the theatre, Bradley was a good deal less... flustered. At least, as long as he managed not to think of Colin’s pale thighs, and the curve of his back...

“Hey,” there was a quiet voice from behind them, and they turned to see Colin, back in a hoodie and jeans, hands shoved deep into his pockets, and a shy smile on his face, “what’d you think?”

Immediately, Angel let out a squeal, before pulling Colin into a hug. “You were incredible,” she assured him, eyes wide with sincerity, “seriously, Colin.”

Katie agreed enthusiastically, and then pushed Angel a little unceremoniously to one side, to hug him too. Colin laughed loudly, but was brought up short, when he met eyes with Bradley, over Katie’s shoulder.

“Katie,” Angel tugged on Katie’s sleeve, “I think they’re still selling ice cream, inside,” she nodded pointedly back towards the theatre, and Katie let go of Colin, almost instantly. Angel wasn’t quite sure whether she had gotten the hint, or was generally excited by the idea of ice cream, when she bounded back inside.  Either way, she grinned affectionately, before hurrying after her, shooting Bradley one, final, meaningful look before she went.

Colin bit his lip as he watched Bradley, who was trying to form a sentence out of a vocabulary which Colin’s presence seemed to have limited.

“You were...uhm... really amazing,” he managed, a little lamely. Colin’s mouth twitched,

“Thanks,” he said. There was a moment of silence and then, “I mean... I was going to tell you about, uh... y’know. But it’s scary enough being up there without...” he coughed and then began chewing the inside of his cheek.

Bradley wondered then, how other people went about things like this. Did you just ask, then and there, “Are you gay? Because I really badly need to kiss you right now.”

He somehow doubted it. But he also doubted that it was a question that really needed to be asked. He took a hesitant step forwards, and Colin cocked his head to one side, uncertain.

“I-“ he started, but then Bradley was there, pressing his lips over the Irishman’s and tasting orange from the tic tacs Colin had no doubt been eating back stage; mouthing cautiously at the corners, inhaling the scent of make-up, marring ever so slightly the smell that was all Colin. Colin’s skin and breath and body.

They broke apart, and both their eyes were wide in the dark. Colin swallowed, thickly, before glancing around. No one was watching them: they were all either still inside, buying drinks, or had left already.

“You really liked it?” Colin whispered, fingers whispering over Bradley’s chest, strained with longing.

“I did,” Bradley assured him, his voice slightly husky. And then Colin’s face brightened with a delighted smile, and he lowered his neck slightly, to breathe another kiss, letting it linger for longer this time, teasing with his tongue, moaning gently when Bradley’s hands found his waist.

They got into a taxi together, waving their goodbyes to a beaming Angel and Katie, and when Colin linked his hand with Bradley’s, and he looked down at where they rested, on his knee, it almost meant more than the kiss. To see his own tanned skin, shadowed by another’s white, laced with another’s long fingers... it made something heavy and beating lodge in his throat.

It almost meant more than the kiss. Almost.


End file.
